THE 2000s: "THE PLATINUM AGE OF TELEVISION"
CNN, 9:00 p.m. ET
I didn’t know until last week, when I previewed the opening episode of CNN’s latest deep dive into various decades, that the episode had taken its title from my latest book: The Platinum Age of Television. How nice. And it’s also nice that this two-hour episode makes such a strong case for my central thesis, that television has matured mightily in around this current century. So many superb interviewees are shown speaking on the subject, including Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, that I’m honored to be included. But I want it known, at least to Gilligan and to the gifted creators of such shows as Deadwood and The Sopranos and The West Wing and Breaking Bad, that I raved at length about them as well – but so did so many other people, and so well, that those enthusiasms of mine ended up on the cutting room floor. But as always, I’m proud to be in the mix at all, so if anyone doubts my original intentions or enthusiasms, just go read my book. Meanwhile, please, watch this opening episode of The 2000s. Then keep watching, as the series unfolds, because Mark Herzog, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Kirk Saduski, and the rest of the folks behind ambitious string of historical and cultural documentary series (which began with The Sixties) have turned out consistently informative, entertaining, and invaluable work over the decades. So to speak.